Automobile door handle and lock shield



Feb. 12, 1952 v K|NG 2,585,331

AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE AND LOCK SHIELD Filed Sept. 25, 1950 Martin M King B, @Mmm aim pm m Patented Feb. 12, 1952 t-"UNITED"? STATES "PATENT om E,-

AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE AND SHIELD Martin V. King, Hammond, Ind. V

Application September 25, 1950, Serial No. 186,645 a 4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to automotive accessories and so-called attachments and has more particular reference to a rubber or equivalent protector-type shield, the latter being constructed to substantially enclose an outside door handle and its associated lock barrel hub construction in a manner to cover the usual keyhole slot in the lock barrel, whereby to prevent moisture from getting into the keyhole slot and interfering with the insertion and removal of the lock-controlling key.

Many makes of automobiles currently being manufactured and used employ key-controlled lock barrels of the so-called push-button type. Therefore, during winter weather, it is also a well-known fact that the accumulation of ice and snow on the push-button will interfere with convenient operation of the latter. It is therefore another object of the invention to provide shield means which completely covers the keyhole slot and the push-button type barrel and which is sufiiciently elastic that it permits unhampered operation of the push button.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a door handle attachment which has a sheath portion to envelop the handle proper, and which is provided at one end with a jacket which conformably fits over the hub portion of the handle, said jacket having a cap and the cap and jacket being interlocked, the cap being provided with a self-closing key-accommodating slit.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a lock and door handle attachment type accessory constructed along the stated lines and which is such in construction that it will supply the usual needs and meet the requirements of manufacturers and users alike.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the body of an automobile, showing the outside door handle construction and showing, what is more important, the attachment which constitutes the'subject matter of the instant invention, the latter being partly broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the attachment on a suitably enlarged scale.

LOCK

' Referring now to Figure l of the drawings, .the automobile door is denoted, generally. bythe reference letter A and the outside door handle is denoted at B, this including a suitable hub structure C containing the usual push-button typ lock barrel D having a keyhole slot E.

The attachment comprises two complementa partsof suitable rubber or equivalent material. One part is denoted by the, numeral 4 and this is characterized essentially by an elongated, channel-shaped sheath 6 which is shaped to conform to and fit over the door handle B. This has metal or equivalent straps B embedded therein with the end portions 9--9 freely bendable whereby same may be clamped around the handle B, somewhat in the manner shown in Figure 1. The intermediate outer surface portion of the sheath is flattened, as at 10, to provide what may be called a name-plate. At one end of the sheath is a jacket [2 which is shaped and contoured to fit over and conform to the hub portion of the handle construction. This is provided at one end with a reinforcingflange I4 to bear against the coacting surface of the door. At its opposite end it is provided with an internal annular reinforcing flange l6 and an outstanding annular bead 18. The bead l8 fits into and accommodates the annular attaching channel 20 carried by the rim portion 22 of the flexible rubber cap 24. The latter fits over and contains the push-button and has a self-closing slit 26 to accommodate the insertable and removable key (not shown).

The elasticity of the rubber used in molding the barrel cap 24 is such that the attachin channel 20 may be snapped over and interlocked with the assembling and retention bead I8.

It is evident that the primary characteristic of the attachment is to provide an enclosing cap, preferably of rubber, to encase the lock barrel and to allow the same to be employed in the usual push-button fashion and, in addition, to provide a self-closing slit to permit the key to be inserted and axially turned in the usual keyhole in the barrel. However, it is desired to also accommodate the shank or hub portion of the door handle construction, and for this reason the jacket means 12 is employed. Then, too, it has been found convenient to also provide, in the same unit, means 4, the sheath, to cover the handle proper.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An attachment for an outside automobile door handle construction comprising a basing and attaching jacket adapted to encase a coacting portion of the door handle construction, said jacket being substantially channel-shaped in cross-section and open at its outer end and provided at said end with an endless annular flange and an endless outstanding bead, and an elastic 2. The structure specified in claim 1 wherein said jacket is provided on one side with a lateral extension constituting a handle covering sheath. 3. The structure specified in claim 1 wherein said jacket is provided on one side with a lateral extension constituting a handle covering sheath,

said sheath having a flattened name-plate portion and being provided with bendable straps adapted to be clenched around the coacting handle.

4. A door handle and lock barrel shield of the class described comprising a hub encasing jacket, and an elastic barrel enclosing cap carried by said jacket and having a self-closing slit for passage of a key, said jacket being of elastic rubber and conforming in general shape and contour to the shape and contours of said hub and being provided with an annular bead, said cap having a channel-shaped annulus joined to said bead.

MARTIN V. KING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,144 Wahlberg July 28, 1936 2,070,955 Parisoe Feb. 16, 1937 2,132,287 Curtis et a1. Oct. 4, 1938 2,217,730 Cooley Oct. 15, 1940 2,247,592 Swift July 1, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, January 1941, page 159. 

